Canadian Human Rights Act Research Paper

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In an ideal world, it is each government’s duty to make life better for each citizen. Canada is a country that has legislation which is exemplary in improving life for its people. It has bettered its life and equality through movements “such as women’s rights, environmental sensitivity and human rights,” (Toksoz 15). Countless charters and acts have been approved by Canadian legislation to promote equality, especially for human/women’s rights. Among these is the Canadian Human Rights Act, whose purpose is that “all individuals should have an opportunity equal with all individuals,” (Section 2). The Act put an end to discriminatory hate actions, protecting the rights of religious groups, and other minorities. It also gave the Native Indians…show more content…
According to the Indian Act of 1867, it “allows the government to control most aspects of aboriginal life: Indian status, land, resources, wills, education, band administration and so on,” (Montpetit). The Indian Act also did not recognize Indians as people, and they were not allowed to do things such as vote in elections of federal nature. People may say that there can be discrimination against Aboriginals (because of the Indian Act) without violating the Canadian Human Rights Act, but this is untrue. In the original bill, Aboriginals did not have equal rights for fear that giving them equality would violate the Indian act (Section 67). However, this section was relooked, and eventually repealed. As a result of the repeal, Aboriginals were given full social status. The Canadian Human Rights Act views the Natives as people, which is what it strives to do; make life for all humans…show more content…
Since the Canadian Human Rights Act was created in 1976-77, it reflected the public/social movements of the time. The issues covered in the act “reflected public discourse surrounding rights at the time, which largely focused on fundamental freedoms or visible, ethnic, and religious minorities” (Clement 52). The pioneering “anti-discrimination laws in Canada reflected a narrow conception of rights. None of the early statutes, for example, included sex discrimination” (Clement 51). “Isabelle Gauthier, Marie-Claude Gauthier, Georgina Anne Brown and Joseph Houlden, all members of the Canadian Forces, filed a complaint under the Canadian Human Rights Act claiming discrimination based on sex. In 1989, following a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling, the Canadian Forces opened all occupations, including combat roles, to women,” (Government of Canada). As complaints on gender discrimination continued, and women’s rights and equality became increasingly popular, the Canadian Human Rights Act was revised to include women as full people. Women were now allowed to serve in war, and take occupations that were traditionally

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